Stop thinking in crisis, start thinking in opportunities!

[stevetheupsguy]

Salesguy,

One of the biggest problems with salespeople at UPS, is that "THEY" have no concept of the operation for which they are trying to "sell" the business.

You have no clue about cube space, load locations, weights, time factors, packaging or service.

I cant even count how many times a new customer has been promised a 430 pm pickup without consulting my current pickup string.

However, before we even get to new leads, why are "we" as a company not concentrating on our "core" business or current customers?

Why is it, that the company is currently allowing its IE department to create massive pickup failures and multi-tudes of package failures on a daily basis?

When IE cuts cars to look good on paper, it negatively affects the "servicing" of our existing customers.

In my center, cuts are soo deep, we are rolling tons of packages daily and missing some of our million dollar accounts.

The only thing IE seems to be good at is expanding the overtime hours it pays its drivers.

With all the cuts designed to save the company money in the last 2 months, we have managed to increase overtime 30% over last year, same period.

We have exisiting customers threatening to leave UPS today because they cant get picked up daily or on time, yet you come on here asking us for leads to save the company??

Get serious.

When the district manager of one of the largest corridors in the USA has to personally visit million dollar accounts to try and reclaim business because the center level management team failed them, then thats when the "company" is responsible for lost business.

I cant over the fact that our district manager has to do this on a weekly basis! I just want to laugh in his face as he asks us to provide him leads.

Its embarrassing when a shipper that gives us 8 to 10 pallets of packages daily and we can only get 2 to 3 pallets before they close, and the company expects an 18 year old inexperienced OMS to call the customer and ask them to wait after closing for us to free up some trucks to pickup the volume.

Yet, as a salesguy, you will walk into that company and make promises you cant keep. They ask you for a 430 pickup, you say yes, they open an account and boom, here comes 630 and some kid is on the phone giving them an excuse.

You need to fix this first before you pile on more service failures.

This is the main reason drivers are un-motivated to assist in the lead business.

Other factors play a part as well. When a driver is knocking on a customers door at 930pm, what do you think is running thru his mind when it comes to more leads?? How about friend.U.

How about when a driver is in the building at 945pm and recording packages as missed only to have them again the next day and probably miss them again?? Again, friend.U.

What do you think a driver is thinking when a package is 3 days late because it was service failed the 2 days prior and now the customer is in his face giving him the business?? Yeah, you guessed it friend.U.

A salesperson having absolutely no INTEREST in the everyday operation of the business would have no clue what the driver is thinking when they approach one and asks for a lead.

If the salespersons were in the center teams face the very next business day demanding answers to why pickups were failed, why packages were rolled or why bulk stops failed to leave the building on the scheduled business day, THEN the drivers would be more willing to help them out.

But in the meantime, the salespeople walk around clueless talking about useless rhetoric they have no intention of honoring.

Yes, more business is good for UPS, but bad business is bad for UPS.

You want leads? Fix a broken system. RID yourselves of the useless charts, figures, graphs and numbers that mean absolutely nothing to the operation of the business.

UPS's biggest problem is the creation of paper tigers.

From the center manager to the district manager. Useless paper tiger's chasing around useless numbers that are mostly fudged, altered or inaccurate in the first place.

You want leads? Then take the LEAD and demand that the center team you are assigned to is DOING THE JOB to protect the business.

Then you will have my attention. Until then, I'm deaf ears.

I normally multi quote and comment as needed, but this post needs to stand alone. That was very well said, TOS! You've hit the nail on the head, as many have in this thread. I stopped after your post and just had to say thanks for such a great post.

Not to mention, you never even said anything about right, left, Obama, or any other political thing. I have gained new respect for you, as I thought you had one agenda.

 

[stevetheupsguy]

Nobody is asking a driver to sale anything, just qualify a lead for someone todo the selling. Some drivers think their job is rocket science. Instead of talking about the game last night, talk about why the customer is sending some package fed ex and some ups. Could be a simple answer of Fed Ex picks up later. Will probably take less time than talking about the game and you will be under 9.5.

Thank you for your life time and sharing your inner feelings with me.
It would be naief to think I did not have your attention.

Have you ever considered applying for management and change it all?

You are not the only one in this and you can change it! UPS is even willing to get you there if you have the required skills!
Dream over it tonight and hand in your letter of intend tomorrow!
(after you entered your monthly lead af course)

What I've noticed from these 2 screen names, is that at times they seem to be different people. Look at their posts and you may pick up on typo's or misspellings, that aren't consistent.

 

[Ms.PacMan]

It would be naief to think I did not have your attention.

Where are you? You spelled the word naive in Dutch.

 

[pudg00]

I think Salesguy has proven A: Is living in a alternate universe B: Multiple personality disorder C: Has no clue about anything including the basic principles of sales. D: All of the above.

 

[stevetheupsguy]

Where are you? You spelled the word naive in Dutch.

Good call, MsP!

I think Salesguy has proven A: Is living in a alternate universe B: Multiple personality disorder C: Has no clue about anything including the basic principles of sales. D: All of the above.

At least we know where we're at, pudg. If this was UPS, the questions would be accompanied by the answers.

 

[pudg00]

Amen!

 

[over9five]

Salesguy keeps his positive attitude no matter what gets thrown at him. No-ones dragging him into the gutter.

Gotta respect that.

 

[stevetheupsguy]

Salesguy keeps his positive attitude no matter what gets thrown at him. No-ones dragging him into the gutter.

Gotta respect that.

Are you implying that the other one, has already been ditched? (That was my best shot at "hudson")

 

[UPSBOI]

Maybe IE should set up some bogus numbers that the salesguys are held accountable for. So the center manager can ride them for being overallowed everyday.

DING!! DING!! DING!!........Somebody get that man a prize! BULLS EYE!

 

[dannyboy]

Sales lead guy, most of the drivers at UPS can do the simple math you started out the thread with. Problem is that it is childish.

You stated

a problem when it becomes structural.

in your discussions on management VS promises made by BD to the customer.

And as usual, you are not listening to the drivers, or maybe they have not broken it down for you to where you understand.

It is a structural problem. Always has been. And unless you are a rookie or been institutionalized in an ivory tower, you know it to be a fact of life as well.

Delivery and BD at UPS do not play on or for the same team. Yup, the goal is to integrate the customer's needs into what is possible to pull off on a daily basis. But things change, and when they do, no one bothers to contact the customer.

Good case in our center was the relooping of the routes for what ever new program was next. The customers needs were never the focus of how they cut and pasted routes. Only desire was to cut time on road, and basically one route per group. The cutting of one route never really worked out as drivers went 10 hours or more. And it was wonderful to see drivers making pickups before the other driver made the days deliveries.

So you see, we are telling you there is a structural problem. Fix it, and we will retain business we already have (BTW, its much cheaper to keep the customers you already have than to seek out new ones. You did know that already, right???)

Get management on the same team as the rest of us, and we should blow everybody away with great service.

d

 

[sano]

Just for kicks, let me throw a question out there.

What if sales was made part of the drivers job?

Drivers are out in the field every day.
Drivers get to the docks and back rooms where they can tell a lot about what is going on in the business.
Drivers know what is possible service wise.
Most drivers are good communicators.
Drivers are very familiar with the product (service).

At first thought we say that the drivers already don't have time, but what about a system that allows a driver that has proven commitment to the sales process, extra time for finding business. With telematics they know where the driver is, so the system would have safeties built in against abuse.

If we could ever get buy in from the drivers we would have the largest sales force of any company in the world.

Whats your thought on it?

 

[pkgdriver]

Good case in our center was the relooping of the routes for what ever new program was next. The customers needs were never the focus of how they cut and pasted routes. Only desire was to cut time on road, and basically one route per group. The cutting of one route never really worked out as drivers went 10 hours or more. And it was wonderful to see drivers making pickups before the other driver made the days deliveries.

Going on here right now. My biggest revenue shipper is getting their packages after pickup 30% of the time. It seems like driver/CUSTOMER input has not/can not be take into consideration by the PAS/LOOP/WHATEVER team. Not much if any miles savings daily either.
Take care of what we got before it's gone.

 

[MechanicForBrown]

I don't recall making any demands....

Maybe you will think twice about the sales lead program when you show up to work one day and there isn't enough volume and you are told to go home.

I hope that doesn't happen to you, but you never know.

Hey HUDSON, you are one arrogant son of a gun!! I think your attitude is poor, and I can't figure out why you seam to be harassing some drivers here, ESPECIALLY STUG, one of the nicest members I've read posts of!!!
You do need to calm down some or else get OFF the BC, there is no room here for finger pointing @ anyone!! JUST MY HONEST OPINION!!

 

[The Other Side]

Sales lead guy, most of the drivers at UPS can do the simple math you started out the thread with. Problem is that it is childish.

You stated

in your discussions on management VS promises made by BD to the customer.

And as usual, you are not listening to the drivers, or maybe they have not broken it down for you to where you understand.

It is a structural problem. Always has been. And unless you are a rookie or been institutionalized in an ivory tower, you know it to be a fact of life as well.

Delivery and BD at UPS do not play on or for the same team. Yup, the goal is to integrate the customer's needs into what is possible to pull off on a daily basis. But things change, and when they do, no one bothers to contact the customer.

Good case in our center was the relooping of the routes for what ever new program was next. The customers needs were never the focus of how they cut and pasted routes. Only desire was to cut time on road, and basically one route per group. The cutting of one route never really worked out as drivers went 10 hours or more. And it was wonderful to see drivers making pickups before the other driver made the days deliveries.

So you see, we are telling you there is a structural problem. Fix it, and we will retain business we already have (BTW, its much cheaper to keep the customers you already have than to seek out new ones. You did know that already, right???)

Get management on the same team as the rest of us, and we should blow everybody away with great service.

d

Now , theres the real answer to the problem.

Instead of cutting back and jeopardizing the business as "we" are doing, why not expand and put a DEATH BLOW on the competition??

Why not expand our drivers flexibility and provide the kind of service customers are looking for?

As i stated earlier, the business model used in the good days (good economy) do not work in the present environment. (recession)

When customers are changing the way "they" do business (ie: cutting work day hours, eliminating waste) we are still putting those customers last by doing what is good for UPS on paper!!!

If a customer cuts an hour off their workday and goes from a 5pm pickup to a 4pm pickup, most of the time we cant accomodate them.

The customers only option is to look at another carrier. (fedex)

Fedex is weak and package volume will only grow as we fail what we have already.

The savings from eliminating BD and every other redundant management person who is not really necessary to the business would pay for the increase in trucks and service.

The service aspect alone would pay for itself.

One of the biggest problems is the redundancy of supervisors who are not really needed.

The old adage " too many chiefs, not enough indians" could apply in many centers.

We have to adjust to a buyers market rather than trying to keep a sellers market going. We at UPS have nothing to offer the customer presently than HIGHER rates and poor service.

Higher rates + poor service = loss of business.

Higher rates + out of the box thinking = market domination.

If we put more trucks on the road, made every pickup ontime, insured that every package everyday meant more than morning B.S. , and the drivers made a committment to getting off the road as soon as possible, plus make a committment to using the extra time to business developing, we could succeed in a recession market.

The old ways dont work. IE doesnt have the FIRST clue how to run this business other than into the ground!

How long before UPS compromises its business as a whole with methodologies that dont work??

We as a company have an opportunity right now to put a choke hold on Fedex and possibly put them into a deep hole.

But we are not taking that into consideration.

For months now, all the IE geeks have not been able to stem the bleeding from loss of volume. They have however, managed to lose more and more business each month to Fedex.

Maybe its time to revisit driver managers? Maybe its time to revisit "on the road supervision"? Maybe its time to "tap into" the depth of knowledge of its front line employees and listen to what could really work!

At this rate, overtime will continue to mount, districts will consistently show a loss vs. profit and the answers will remain on the shop floor silent.

So many TIES and no one with the "nuts" to step up and disagree with the district management on the direction of the company.

They same old message from every supervisor "i just do what Im told".

Now theres a recipe for success!

 

[feeder53]

I do the best I can when it comes to customer relations and new business. As a consumer, I will write to or call a company and express my opinion on their shipping company. As a small IT company, I have a number of suppliers and to date, the most reliable service is UPS. I have had Fedex deilver a few times, but I had to go to their terminal 45 miles away to sign for the packages as they would not leave them. I had seen 3 different drivers in my area and I do not know any of them. UPS has always been the most reliable for me to do business with so I share that with all the companies I do business with. If I do not believe in the product, I can not be a salesperson for them.

 

[MechanicForBrown]

I do the best I can when it comes to customer relations and new business. As a consumer, I will write to or call a company and express my opinion on their shipping company. As a small IT company, I have a number of suppliers and to date, the most reliable service is UPS. I have had Fedex deilver a few times, but I had to go to their terminal 45 miles away to sign for the packages as they would not leave them. I had seen 3 different drivers in my area and I do not know any of them. UPS has always been the most reliable for me to do business with so I share that with all the companies I do business with. If I do not believe in the product, I can not be a salesperson for them.

This is true, good post!!

 

[sexyupsman]

I have a salesrep that comes in here 2xs a month. All he does is push me for more business. I dont have any problem with that but man he has my business shouldnt he be looking for new prospects. My driver sees this guy everyday and all he does is tell the guys to "get more business we need new LTL get new accounts". I realize the drivers are the backbone of UPS, why dont the salesguys/girls get their butts in gear and secure more business? Why dont they get 1 lead times the 20,000 reps out there everyday? Thats 20,000 new customers according to my calculations. And yes in case I forgot to mention, he is one fine puerto rican salesrep! He gets the job done!

 

[Salesguy]

I think Salesguy has proven A: Is living in a alternate universe B: Multiple personality disorder C: Has no clue about anything including the basic principles of sales. D: All of the above.

A. So True, I am out of this world
B. It never hurts to have fun with yourself
C. Adds don;t have clues, the power is repeatment
D. Thanks for your positive comment!

 

[Salesguy]

What I've noticed from these 2 screen names, is that at times they seem to be different people. Look at their posts and you may pick up on typo's or misspellings, that aren't consistent.

ha ha good one, Dah we are a UPS family, great minds think alike,
proven by the quoted quote above.

You are a proud member of the family as well.

But I am not here to inform you about your great job and its privilages.
Reading your comments make me feel that you need some more love
And I need Love-ov (+ad) +s

Why not work together and after we met in the bar I arrange you a date?
It never hurts to help.

 

[Salesguy]

Now , theres the real answer to the problem.

Instead of cutting back and jeopardizing the business as "we" are doing, why not expand and put a DEATH BLOW on the competition??

Why not expand our drivers flexibility and provide the kind of service customers are looking for?

As i stated earlier, the business model used in the good days (good economy) do not work in the present environment. (recession)

When customers are changing the way "they" do business (ie: cutting work day hours, eliminating waste) we are still putting those customers last by doing what is good for UPS on paper!!!

If a customer cuts an hour off their workday and goes from a 5pm pickup to a 4pm pickup, most of the time we cant accomodate them.

The customers only option is to look at another carrier. (fedex)

Fedex is weak and package volume will only grow as we fail what we have already.

The savings from eliminating BD and every other redundant management person who is not really necessary to the business would pay for the increase in trucks and service.

The service aspect alone would pay for itself.

One of the biggest problems is the redundancy of supervisors who are not really needed.

The old adage " too many chiefs, not enough indians" could apply in many centers.

We have to adjust to a buyers market rather than trying to keep a sellers market going. We at UPS have nothing to offer the customer presently than HIGHER rates and poor service.

Higher rates + poor service = loss of business.

Higher rates + out of the box thinking = market domination.

If we put more trucks on the road, made every pickup ontime, insured that every package everyday meant more than morning B.S. , and the drivers made a committment to getting off the road as soon as possible, plus make a committment to using the extra time to business developing, we could succeed in a recession market.

The old ways dont work. IE doesnt have the FIRST clue how to run this business other than into the ground!

How long before UPS compromises its business as a whole with methodologies that dont work??

We as a company have an opportunity right now to put a choke hold on Fedex and possibly put them into a deep hole.

But we are not taking that into consideration.

For months now, all the IE geeks have not been able to stem the bleeding from loss of volume. They have however, managed to lose more and more business each month to Fedex.

Maybe its time to revisit driver managers? Maybe its time to revisit "on the road supervision"? Maybe its time to "tap into" the depth of knowledge of its front line employees and listen to what could really work!

At this rate, overtime will continue to mount, districts will consistently show a loss vs. profit and the answers will remain on the shop floor silent.

So many TIES and no one with the "nuts" to step up and disagree with the district management on the direction of the company.

They same old message from every supervisor "i just do what Im told".

Now theres a recipe for success!

Finally...sombody who is still awake!
Thanks...good post...I like market domination!!!!!!!!!